HAWKISH Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

hawkish

adjective

Definition of hawkish

as in warlike

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hawkish Prices moved lower yesterday after Pakistan’s defence minister said the countries were close to an arrangement, only to rebound following more hawkish comments from Iran over the strait’s closure. — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026 But the Fed has hawkish dissenters, the long end carries fiscal supply risk that the front end doesn't, and headline inflation is still above target. — Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Masahiro Motoki plays Murashige, a real-life warrior of the era whose clan broke with the hawkish Oda (Bando Shingo), seeking refuge in Arioka Castle. — Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 If policymakers don’t hike, Warsh will need to temper investors’ fears that the Fed might never act on his hawkish posturing. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hawkish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hawkish

Adjective

Macron says fires are warlike crisis for France Out-of-control wildfires represent France’s greatest crisis since World War II, President Emmanuel Macron said.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 29 July 2026
The poem that precedes it, the Iliad, is a cruel and beautiful work, the ultimate story of war; the Odyssey has its warlike passages, but its central energies seem almost commonplace beside the merciless fury of Achilles.

— David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026

Definition of warlike

Adjective

Through its complex depiction of a bloodthirsty mob, M explores the disturbingly violent tendencies inherent in human nature.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026
Critics and audiences alike went gaga over Sam Reid’s glammed-out turn as a bloodthirsty vampire gone rock star in AMC’s The Vampire Lestat.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of bloodthirsty

Adjective

Priced from $41,520, the MT1 looks like something from the world of Japanese anime, with none of the militaristic menace of Tesla’s pickup.

— Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
The seemingly militaristic act of archery and peaceful meditation may seem diametrically opposed.

— Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

Definition of militaristic

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hawkish

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“Hawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hawkish. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of hawkish

adjective

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